Crazy For You - Chichester / Gillian Lynne Theatre

£25 front row tickets announced. The "summer senior rate" has been extended, and they´ve added £25 student and young people tickets. When they first put this show on sale, the cheapest clear view ticket was £45. The pricing strategy for this has been crap, hasn´t it? Milking the most of (two or three) advance buyers and then finding out it´s not the greatest idea with train strikes...

I do find his look very jarring, particularly for a show with such a fabulous costume and hair design across the board.
He just looks like a snooker player.

Usually front stalls - centre and / or side blocks, then rear stalls, M/N/O around there and very back of stalls. Lots of choice and they don’t tend to sell hugely quickly so flick through a few dates as what’s on offer does vary across different performances.

I got centre row F stalls for £30 for a Friday night performance so there’s great seats in there. Likely some dress circle seats too but as I wanted stalls I didn’t look.

Finally got to see this last night on a 40% off deal. Sat in solitary splendour in one of the single row G seats which was bliss - I wish more theatres had them.

It's a curious show really and am neither in the majority camp of raves or the minority of vocal dissenters.

The positives :

- We all know it on here but Charlie Stemp is a star. Where he gets the energy to do that 8 times a week is beyond me. He dances and dances and dances. Hopefully he wins something for this as he deserves it. That said, I do feel he is playing the same role/himself/cheeky chappy in everything I've seen him in. Would be great to see what his acting chops are like in something completely different.
- Carly Anderson. What a voice! Powerful and clean note hitting perfection. Loved it. Better voice than Charlie to be fair. Pure musical theatre :-)
- The ensemble absolutely worked their socks off and did everything they could to sell this show.
- The choreography was fantastic and some of the big numbers were breathtaking.

The negatives:

- The book and the story. It was ridiculous. And yes, often big showy musicals are, and you suspend your disbelief and go with it for the music and the dancing but this was next level ridiculous IMHO. I mean as if she wouldn't have recognised him as Bella..... and a million other examples of plot holes.
- The comedy. Some of it was funny and I did laugh out loud a few times but some of it was next level daft. I mean there were points where it descended into something in the realms of a Benny Hill sketch.

On the fence:

- The score. Personal taste only on this one. It's impossible to argue what melodies are pleasing to someone and not someone else so take with a huge pinch of salt. But I Got Rhythm and a few of the lovely ballads aside (Embraceable You/Someone To Watch Over Me) I found it totally forgettable. Couldn't hum anything other than those three (that I knew already) today. It just, I dunno, needs more bangers. I thought the talent of the cast and the brilliant choreography deserved it. And for me personally I can forgive a totally nonsense story if I love the music. But cos I didn't here, the story stuck out more. The score was pleasant and the band were superb, but that was it for me. I really wanted more.

As a similar tap musical I thought a lot about 42nd Street - and that has way more bangers. Dames; Young and Beautiful; We're In The Money; Lullaby Of Broadway; 42nd Street - it's banger after banger after banger. Even the smaller numbers (Get Into Your Dance; Sunny Side To Every Situation) are total earworms. Anything Goes the same - full of choons. But yeah, like I said, personal taste. Am not that familiar with Gershwin but some songs I found so hard to decipher melody that it was almost like listening to Sondheim (ok, not quite, bit it reminded me of that kind of feeling...)

Unusual audience - I think a lot of friends and families of certain actors as there was a lot of random applause when certain ensemble had a moment up front. Pretty much full though. Either this show does amazing last minute business or the papering is immense. It did get a very good reception though so I do wonder if the relentless (assumed) papering will lead to good word of mouth and eventually result in decent sales allowing it to complete it's run. I hope so as there is much to enjoy.

Oh back to the "comedy" in the interests of fairness should add that much of the audience were in hysterics as if it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen. So maybe it's just me.

As some others have alluded to - 4.5 star production of a 2.5 star show. Whilst there is much to enjoy, I can see why it hasn't set the box office alight.

Last of all, audience were pretty well behaved by 2023 standards. Which was nice.

Edit - music reminded me a bit of An American In Paris - pleasant enough whilst listening to it but can't remember a single song now!

Am surprised that Carly Anderson isn't getting more press, given it was the role that made Ruthie Henshall a star/leading lady

BVM that sums up my feelings about the show as opposed to the production. Some of the songs don't have the heft it needs to keep the momentum going.

I always understood that Ludwig was told he could pretty much plunder the entire Gershwin show catalogue for songs which makes some of the choices seem bizarre. There are definitely stronger songs that would have worked better - not necessarily as well known as I Got Rhythm but infinitely more catchy/tuneful/earwormy than half of the choices he did make.

I had the most brilliant night with it yesterday.

Did I like the music? NO . Do I appreciate silly story lines? NO. Is this a genre I usually enjoy? NO.

Regardless this was just pure joy.


Also: I only went because of the feedback of this Board. The title subject matter, posters, etc... none of those are inspiring. Maybe that's the issue - from the outside many just cannot see the gem hiding inside.

Hi All,

Can anyone confirm if Charlie is doing the entire run? Thinking about booking the last performance but only if he's in it. Thanks!

There's nothing wrong with the marketing IMO it's perfectly pitched. I'm bemused with some of the suggestions I've seen on here.

... tap into the word "crazy" use some pills and a straight jacket in the promo shots

Had to go again tonight, mesmerised by the whole cast. Charlie is still amazing.